


The Zephyr Boarding School

by tessathetesla



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Absent Parents, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternative Universe - FBI, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Foster Care, Found Family, Gen, Kissing, Light Angst, Making Out, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Multi, Mystery, Philinda - Freeform, Protective Parents, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Students, Teaching, philindaisy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:15:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28535751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tessathetesla/pseuds/tessathetesla
Summary: Melinda May is a new teacher at the Zephyr Boarding School and she meets another teacher at the school, a geeky history teacher named Phil Coulson. May and Coulson are assigned a troubled student named Skye to help mentor for the year, and realize how hard yet rewarding it is to invest in a young person’s life.AU-Boarding School where May and Coulson meet as colleagues as a boarding school! No SHIELD, but May was an FBI agent. Phil has been a teacher since college. Skye is a troubled 16 year old who doesn't know anything about her real parents.[Multi-chapter]
Relationships: Andrew Garner/Melinda May, Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson & Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson/Melinda May, Phil Coulson/Skye | Daisy Johnson
Comments: 37
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

Melinda May walked into Zephyr Boarding School, more nervous than when she entered the FBI Academy many years before. Melinda had recently retired from active service, after a bad knee injury put her in behind a desk for more than a year. Deciding she wasn’t fit for desk work, she signed onto a year of teaching at a boarding school.

Zephyr Boarding School was not your typical school. It was where all the misfits, freaks, and geeks found themselves after not fitting in anywhere else. Many of the students already had criminal records or suspected records. Some just were so smart that they had a hard time interacting with their peers. But they all showed potential to become something more. The dean of the school, Nicholas Fury, had once been one of those troubled kids, until someone came into his life and showed him a different path. He wanted to give back, so he created this school to help those that have no where else to go.

Melinda May had been very intrigued by the offer. She would serve as the schools physical and mental health coach. She would do physical training classes, and be available for when students needed to talk. May herself wasn’t one to open up to others, but being an FBI agent helped her learn to cope in extreme situations.

That’s the part she was most nervous about. She knew physical training would come easy to her, she had trained new FBI cadets all the time. But having to deal with the mental challenges of teenagers wasn’t something that came naturally.

Still, her psych degree would come in handy, and that’s part of why they gave her the job. Melinda just hoped she could make a difference in these teens lives. Melinda had seen a lot of broken homes and lives in her years of being an agent, and hoped to spare these kids from similar fate.

_Alright Melinda, if you can take down crime lords, you can help teach teenagers. You’ve got this._

“Excuse me, are you Melinda May?” A man said, Melinda, who was lost in thought, shook herself and looked up. The man was a shorter, geeky looking guy with thick rimmed glasses and thinning brown hair.

Melinda stuck out her hand, “Yes, I’m Melinda, and you are?”

“Phil Coulson. I’m the history teacher here. And I’ve been assigned to show you around The Z.” Phil replied, shifting his glasses and looking nervous.

“The Z?” Melinda asked, confused.

“That’s what we call the Zephyr Boarding School. Or at least that’s what I call it,” Phil looked down, feeling sheepish.

“Well, Mr. Coulson, I guess you’re my tour guide. Guide away!” Melinda put on a smile, hoping to ease Coulson’s nervousness and her own.

“Please, call me Phil, we are colleagues, after all,” Phil answered, getting a little red as he led Melinda down the hallway.

“Sorry, used to my FBI days. We call everyone by their last name,” Melinda answered, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Oh no worries, Melinda, is it okay if I call you Melinda? I can call you May if you’re more comfortable with that,” Phil replied as they walked to the cafeteria where students were having lunch.

“Uh…sure. Either way is fine.” Melinda was used to being called May or Agent May almost exclusively, but if the teachers around here called each other by their first names, she didn’t want to be the outlier.

“So, this is the cafeteria, where the teens take meals. We take meals in a teachers lounge, but sometimes teachers will come in here, especially if they are assigned a student to mentor,” Phil gestured to a few adults having lunch with a student.

Melinda turned her head curiously, “A mentorship program? That sounds intriguing. Have you been a mentor, Phil?

Phil nodded, “Yeah, last year! Helped a super smart kid named Leo. He struggled with feelings of worthlessness. His dad never understood his genius, and berated him for not being normal. So his mom sent him here, and he was able to realize how gifted he was. Plus, it helped another smart girl named Jemma was student teaching here. The two got along amazing and now are going to the same grad program.”

Melinda grinned, feeling her nervousness go away, “This school sounds amazing. I’m happy I decided to work here. It will be a good change from solving crimes.”

Phil chuckled, “Oh you’ll be solving crimes alright. The crimes may be minor here, but they still happen.”

Phil and Melinda kept walking and talking about the school as they finished up at the Dean’s Office. As they walked in, they could hear Fury’s frustrated but patient voice talking to a student.

“Skye, I want you to be successful here, I do. But if you keep running away and hacking into things, it won’t be long before you end up being arrested. And I can only bail you out so many times,” they overheard Dean Fury saying.

“But…” a small voice said.

“And don’t say they deserved it,” Fury finished, noticing Melinda and Phil outside the door.

“Ah. Perfect timing. Melinda May and Phil Coulson, meet your student, Skye.” Fury motioned to a small half Asian teenager who looked on the verge of tears.

Melinda smiled, “My student? Is she going to be in my classes?”

Fury shook his head, “Yes, she’ll be in a few classes, but I’m also assigning you and Mr. Coulson to be her mentors for this year. I have a feeling she’ll need both of you.”

“Hi Skye. I’ll be honored to be your mentor, I’m Melinda May.” Melinda answered, not letting the nervousness showed. Her first day and she already gets assigned what seems like the most troubled kid in the school. At least Coulson was co-mentoring with her.

“Hi Mrs. May” Skye said timidly.

May turned red, “Oh I’m not married. You can call me just May.”

Phil also waved his hand, “Well you know me, Skye, or you would if you ever came to history class,”

“Sorry Phil…”

“I’d prefer you not to call me Phil.” Phil answered, keeping to the policies of the school.

“Alright, MC,” Skye nodded, a small smile forming as she tested the waters.

May gave Coulson a look. In the FBI Academy, that kind of snark would be punished with physical training, but she could see a different approach would be required here.

“MC, for Mr. Coulson? Alright, you can call me MC or just Coulson if you’d like,” Coulson sighed, knowing he was in for a long year. At least May would be teamed up with him.

“Thanks MC, thanks May. So, can I go back to my bunk now?” Skye said awkwardly, feeling the pressure of three adults staring at her.

“We’ll walk you there, Skye. That way I can show May where the bunks are,” Phil offered, nodding to Fury.

“Thanks Coulson. May, once you drop off Skye, come back here and we’ll finish your orientation,” Fury called out, as the three left his office.

It would be quite an interesting trio, Fury mused. An ex-FBI agent, a geeky history teacher, and a hackactivist teenager. He hoped that the three would get along, and that Skye could become the person he knew she could be, a leader.


	2. Ice Cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melinda May is having a hard time getting through to Skye as her mentor. Coulson suggests a different tactic. The three go out to ice cream to bond, and Melinda and Coulson have a slightly awkward moment.

Melinda May had gotten into a good routine, physical training with students from 6 am-10 am, then a break for tea and an early lunch. Then the afternoon was spent helping Skye with whatever she needed, whether it was gentle, but firm reminders to go to class, or to not just eat fruit loops for lunch.

Melinda had never been so exhausted in her life. She had spent days in a surveillance van, chasing after drug cartels, and even got captured and tortured once on a case. But none of those could have prepared her for the attitude of a very smart, but very stubborn 16 year old girl.

“May, I don’t need to go to history class, I know all I need to know about history,” Skye folded her arms in protest, standing outside Coulson’s classroom.

“Do it for Phil, at least,” Melinda answered, motioning to Phil through the window. Coulson had been able to reach Skye in ways she couldn’t. He had this dad sense in him, and she often saw him and Skye in the cafeteria or around campus talking.

Melinda felt like the stern mom that always had to be the disciplinarian and Phil got to be the fun dad. She knew that wasn’t fair to Phil, because he did discipline Skye, but she seemed to listen to him much better.

Phil noticed her and Skye outside the door and propped it open. “Come on Skye, we’ll go get ice cream after!”

Melinda gave Phil a frown and mouthed, “ice cream?” He shrugged.

“Fine, Coulson. I’ll come into class. I don’t need to be bribed…but Treat has new flavors so we could go after class. All three of us!” Skye answered, putting her arms around both her mentors.

Melinda rolled her eyes, “Okay. But take good notes, Skye.”

The three of them went out for ice cream later, Skye showed off her notes, including a short comic of Dean Fury wearing a wig, and Melinda couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. She could tell that Skye was trying hard to win their approval, but also having the tension of not trusting authority figures. It was a tenuous balance, and Melinda knew she had to figure out a way to bond with Skye better.

Skye decided to go order some coffee to go, before they left, as she had a mounting pile of homework to do. Skye got up from the table and winked at Phil, which Melinda just gave a confused look. _Why is she winking? Probably some plan they have. They always have something in the works. Another prank, maybe._

She looked over to Phil, who had put a large helping of sprinkles on his ice cream, and took a huge bite, which left several sprinkles on his face She chuckled, “Phil…you got something…here, let me get it,” Melinda went over to sit next to Phil, and gently wiped the sprinkles off his lips and chin. The two of them suddenly looked into each others eyes, and realized how closely their faces were to each other.

Phil cleared his throat, trying to alleviate the tension. “Uh…thanks, Mel.” Skye came back to the table with coffee in hand, and smiled. The two teachers split apart from each other, both reddening.

“Did I miss something?” Skye asked, very curious as to why May and Coulson were now sitting very closely to each other.

“Just helping Coulson with something,” May answered, grabbing her purse and standing up.

“Come on Skye, let’s get you back so you can start on your homework,” Phil said, getting up as well.

The trio made it back to the school, with Skye settling in with music, coffee, and her homework. Once Melinda made sure she was doing the *right* homework, she left the study room and saw Coulson hanging in the hallway.

“Oh hey, Coulson. What’s up?” May tried to keep casual. What had happened at the ice cream shop surprised both of them. May was apparently so comfortable with her colleague that she helped cleaned his chin. She couldn’t forget the feeling of her fingers on his lips. And she had a feeling that Coulson enjoyed the closeness.

“Oh, just wanted to touch base. I know you said that you were having a hard time connecting with Skye. So, I had some ideas, if you’d want to chat with me about it,” Coulson said, feeling a bit of awkwardness between them.

Melinda chastised herself, maybe Coulson didn’t feel anything after all. It was just her. “Oh, okay. Yeah, more ideas are always great.”

Coulson looked at the time, “Well, the lounge is closed for the evening, did you want to just meet me in my room? It’s clean and I have a couch.”

“Okay, Phil. Sounds like a plan.” Melinda had no idea what to think. He’d never invited her over to his little apartment before. All the teachers lived in campus, but typically they spent time together either in the lounge or in the courtyard. Both of which were closed for the night, so it made sense. Or was he wanting to make a move? Melinda had no idea, and decided to not overthink it.

The two of them entered Phil’s apartment, which was clean and neat. He had a few knickknacks here and there, but all put in an organized way. “I like the place! I still haven’t done much to my apartment. I feel like I’m only there to sleep.” Melinda said as she set down her things by the door.

“Can I offer you some wine? I like to wind down with a glass every night,” Phil asked, pulling out a bottle of red.

“Sure, it was a bit of a stressful day,” Melinda answered, remembering her and Skye’s argument earlier.

Phil poured two glasses and set them down on his coffee table by the couch, where the two sat. “I want to preface this by saying you are doing an amazing job. Skye isn’t the easiest student, and she looks up to you.”

“But…?” Melinda knew there had to be something she was doing wrong, she always felt like she was butting heads with Skye.

“But she still sees you as just another teacher or authority figure. She doesn’t see you as a mentor, an adult she can trust. Skye’s had a lot of hurt in her life, and she’s had a hard time trusting anyone. The more stubborn you get, the more stubborn she’ll get,” Phil offered, feeling comfortable enough with Melinda to tell her the truth.

“It’s a little hard, Phil. I was an FBI agent. My personality screams authority figure,” Melinda sipped the wine, surprised at how good it was.

“I know, and it’s been working well at physical training. But I think with Skye, I don’t know, joining in one of her antics might help break that barrier,” Coulson answered, feeling more comfortable now that he had some wine, and that Melinda was responding fairly well.

“At this point, I’m willing to try anything. Okay, I know you two having something planned,”

“Yeah, but you’d be better for this one. Go talk to her in the morning, tell her you’re in, she’ll fill you on the details,” Phil smiled and was thankful he got paired up with Melinda. There were lots of teachers he could have been paired up with, and none were this wise, beautiful, and fun to be around. Even though she still kicked his butt when he joined in the physical training class. It was the only way Skye would go. He secretly thought it was because Skye wanted him and Melinda to spend more time together.

“Alright, alright. You don’t have to pull my arm. I better get to bed though, training at 6 am. Don’t be late. Thanks for the wine, Phil, it was really good. And, thanks for the advice,” Melinda had finished her wine and set it on his kitchen counter.

Phil got up and set his own wine glass on the counter, and went to go get the door for Melinda. As she passed by, she gave him a little hug. “Goodnight, Phil,”

“Goodnight, Mel.”

From that day on, Phil realized he had a mega crush on Melinda May. He could still feel her fingers on his lips and he wanted to feel her lips on his.

But first, they had to figure out how to get Skye to class, get her to do her work, before they could start anything. While the school didn’t forbid teacher relationships, it was also something that many had time or energy for, especially considering how all encompassing their jobs were. But Phil hadn’t dated anyone in years, and what better way to get to know someone then to help raise a teenager? If they could get along while dealing with that sort of stress, he figured they would be a good match.

Now, to just come up with the courage to ask her out on a date.


	3. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melinda reaches out to Skye who finds out more about her past. The two notice Phil Coulson becoming stronger as a result of May's training classes.

Melinda woke up early, to prep for another long morning of physical training classes. As she walked from the lounge with her tea, she was surprised to see Skye walking the halls, already awake. She was up to something.

“Whatever you’re planning, Skye. I’m in,” May said with a nod, stopping Skye in her tracks.

“Uh, planning? What are you talking about?” Skye tried to lie, but May could see through it easily.

“Coulson and I had a chat, and I know you’re planning something, guessing it’s a prank, and I’m in,” May gave Skye a smile to put her at ease.

Skye looked unsure, “May, it’s not what you think. It’s not a prank. But Coulson said you might be able to help me. I didn’t think you’d be interested, so I never asked.”

May was intrigued, “Of course I’m interested, Skye. I may not show it, but I do care about what you are doing.”

Skye took a glance at the hallways, “Not here though, can we go to your place?”

May took a look at the clock, “Sure, we have the time.”

May and Skye went to May’s place, which was sparsely decorated. Skye chuckled, “I mean, I thought your place would be all decorated in your FBI awards or something.”

The older woman just laughed as she sat on the couch, “Ha. I don’t have much use for decorating. I really only use this place to sleep.”

Skye gave her a sly smile, “Just to sleep? Not having anyone over?”

Melinda frowned, “Like who?” Did Skye think her and Coulson had a thing going on? I mean she liked Coulson, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about their blooming relationship. She’d been focused on her classes and Skye.

Skye just rolled her eyes, “Never mind. The reason I wanted your help is because…I want to find out about my parents. I have searched but keep running into walls. My file is hidden and I want to know why.” Skye looked down, feeling insecure.

Melinda wasn’t expecting that, she knew Skye had been from foster home to foster home until she made it to Fury’s school, but didn’t know much about her life before that. “Well, Coulson is right, I think I can help you with that. I can use my FBI contacts to look at why your file is classified. But be assured, you might not like what you find.”

Skye shook her head, “Can’t be worse than I imagined.”

Melinda sighed, “It might be. Just be prepared. Give me some time, I’ll put some feelers out and we’ll see what we can find.”

Skye gave May a small smile, “Thanks May. It means a lot to be. So, let’s get to training before we’re too late! I want to see you knock down Coulson again.”

They went back into of the hallway, to see Coulson walking along in his workout outfit. “Oh good, I’m not late.”

Melinda smiled, she noticed how cute he was, walking along with them in his t-shirt and shorts. She just noticed how he was getting stronger, leaner, and tougher. She’d been so focused on Skye and the other students, that she hadn’t been noticing how much Coulson had improved too. “Skye says she’s only coming to see me knock you to the ground.”

Coulson grinned at that, “You’ll have to try more now, May. I’ve been getting some extra hours of training in.” He lifted his arm sleeve to flex, showing a hardened bicep.

Skye looked over and spouted, “WHOA Jack Daddy!”

Coulson gave her an incredulous glance, “Jack Daddy?”

The teenager blushed, “Sorry. That’s what the other girls call you now that you’ve gotten buffer.”

It was May’s turn to raise an eyebrow, “Are you telling me the girls in the class have a crush on Coulson? Geeky history teacher, Coulson?”

“Hey, I may be geeky, but I’m a cool geek,” Coulson took offense to May’s comment.

May hit him on the arm, “True, you’re a cool geek. I’ll give you that. Skye, please tell the girls not to call Coulson that. It’s not appropriate.”

Skye rolled her eyes at May, “Fine. I was just trying to make a joke.”

May smiled, “Alright. It’s fine. Let’s get to class, okay?”

As Skye and Coulson raced to class, May did notice that Coulson was getting buffer. His bottom half didn’t look so bad either. Melinda blushed at the thought, took her last sips of tea, and went to class with a bit more pep in her step.


	4. The Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melinda May becomes honest with Phil after she agrees to help Skye find her parents. Phil is pleasantly surprised.

A couple weeks had past, and Melinda had spent most of what little free time she had to research why Skye’s file was classified. She put in a call to one of her old coworkers, and he said that he’d meet with her to figure how what could be done to declassify the file.

Melinda knocked on the door of Coulson’s apartment, ready so share him some news that she’s was making at some small progress at finding out about Skye’s parents. The two of them were growing closer, which had not gone unnoticed by Skye. She kept giving them looks when they were all together, as if she was willing them to date.

“Phil, you in there?” Melinda noticed it was unlocked, and peered into the door. Coulson was sitting at the kitchen drinking some coffee and reading a newspaper.

“Oh, sorry Melinda! I was really focused on this article. Yes, come in. What’s on your mind,” Phil beamed whenever Melinda entered the room. He didn’t have the courage to ask her out on a date yet, and Melinda felt like she might be the one who has to make the first move.

“So, I made some progress on the Skye files, but there’s something you should know before I meet up with my FBI contact,” Melinda flipped her hair nervously.

Phil glanced at her curiously, “Okay. What should I know?”

Melinda took the time to sit down next to him at the kitchen bar before she answered, “I was…almost married once. To the FBI contact I’m meeting. We were engaged, and well, I left him. Something didn’t feel right, an instinct. I just couldn’t go through with it. But I’m not sure he ever got over me.”

“So, you think that by meeting up with him, he’ll think you’re interested again?” Phil was concerned. He and Mel were just getting close to a relationship, and now this might snag the plans.

“Yes, even though it’s for these files, he might try to start something again. I looked into him a bit, and he’s never dated again. I think he’s been waiting for me to come back to him,” May said rubbing her temples in fatigue.

Phil dared to put his hand on hers, “So, what are you going to do?”

Melinda noticed his hand and didn’t move hers, “Well, if I said I was dating someone else, that might make it go smoother.”

“You saying you’ll lie to him? Does he know you well enough to know if you’re lying?” Coulson kept his emotions in check, he didn’t presume Melinda meant she wanted to date HIM.

“It’s not a lie if it’s true, Phil. Look, I know we’ve been getting close. And I know that Skye has been doing better lately. Maybe, there’s a chance, we could, you know, start something?” Melinda knew this plan might not work. She liked Phil, a lot. And she also knew he was too polite to ask her out, especially if it would risk things getting weird with Skye.

“Are you asking me out?” Phil gave a shocked look. He had NO IDEA that Melinda liked him as well. Sure, they flirted from time to time, but he thought it was just their friendship going well.

“Yes, dammit Phil, you can be so thick sometimes. Yes, I want you and I to be in a relationship,” She stood up in frustration.

“Whoa, calm down, Melinda. I’m sorry, I was just surprised. I, didn’t think you liked me the way I like you. And I do like you Mel. A lot,” Phil stood up as well, and put his hand on her shoulder and looked deeply into her eyes. “I just want you to be sure. Because, if we do this, I’m all in. I’m not a guy who dates around, and I want to settle down.”

Melinda was surprised at this, but at the same time, it made sense. Phil had alluded to a past where he was a bit of a player, but that life didn’t last much past college. He had delved into teaching, volunteering at extracurriculars, which didn’t leave him much time for dating. Melinda herself hadn’t dated since breaking up with Andrew.

“Yes, Phil. I do want to do this. And the reason I brought it up because I didn’t want you to think I was interested in my ex. I’m not. I’m simply doing it for Skye. And, I wanted you to come on the info drop. In the background, and I didn’t want you to think I was flirting with Andrew. Because I like you, and I want to date you,” Melinda pulled in Phil for a kiss.

He smiled as they kissed, rubbing her hair, he had wanted to kiss her ever since she had put her fingers on his lips at that ice cream shop. It was even better than he imagined. Before he could kiss her more, the bell ring, indicating the first class of the afternoon

“Oh yeah. Class,” Phil pulled away from Melinda, sadly. “I better head down there before I give myself a tardy.”

She smirked and patted his butt as he walked out of the door. “We’ll continue this conversation later. But first, you’re going to come with me to the contact tonight.”

Phil grinned at her touch and said, “For you, Melinda, I’ll do anything.”

Skye noticed Phil coming out of his apartment as she was on her way to class, _Good, I’m not late._ She thought as she picked up the pace. As she passed by the apartment door, she noticed May leaving the room as well, with her hair a bit tousled.

_Huh. I wonder…_

Skye made it to class right after the second bell, and noticed that Phil’s tie was a little crooked. And he had this stupid smile on his face, which normally wouldn’t happen if he was late to class. He hated being late.

Phil could feel Skye’s eyes on him, as he was turned to put up the reading assignment on the board. He had seen her out of the corner of his eye as he left his apartment, and wondered if she saw May coming out. _That girl is more observant than I realized. We’ll have to tread carefully._

The class finished smoothly and Phil noticed that Skye hadn’t left when the final bell rang, “Anything on your mind, Skye?”

Skye just grinned and gave him a wink, “No. But I know whose on your mind, Phil.” Skye began to leave the class.

“Remember Skye, don’t call me Phil. And I don’t know what you’re talking about. Oh, and Melinda and I will be off campus tonight. We found a lead.” Phil answered, figuring the best way to get Skye off his back was to distract her.

Skye whipped around, “What? About my parents?”

Phil nodded, “Yes. So, be good tonight, okay? It’s important we make this contact.”

Skye saluted her mentor, “Yessir. I promise I won’t get in trouble tonight. I’ll just put on my favorite movie and eat some popcorn, okay?”

Phil smiled as the 16 year old skipped out of class. The next class was starting soon and he had to put a stop to the whirlwind of emotions going through his heart so he could get through the day.

Melinda May was his girlfriend. She liked him. And they were going to meet her ex-fiancee to find out more about Skye’s parents. _Well, I did want my life to become more exciting. That’s why I took this job a few years ago. I just didn’t realize how exciting it could get._


	5. The Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melinda meets with her ex-fiancee, an FBI agent to inquire about Skye's file.

Melinda had put herself in a sleek but professional dress for meeting Andrew at the restaurant. It was an old FBI speakeasy, made for making contacts and possibly unsavory deals. Phil had made it to the bar, where he was in a dark suit with a silver tie. He ordered a whiskey and tried to look inconspicuous. Melinda had suggested he wear his contacts, as the thick rimmed glasses could stand out.

He didn’t wear his contacts often, but he had to admit, he liked how he looked in the suit and his blue eyes beaming. Melinda had agreed as she tied his tie. She had given him some tips on how to pay attention without looking like you were paying attention. Phil had laughed, and said that he knows the look. Skye did that all of the time in class.

As he got settled, he noticed a dark, tall man come out from the side door. _This must be Andrew, her ex. Wow, he’s good looking. No wonder she dated him._

Phil felt a little self-conscious, he never considered himself overly handsome. He was shorter, had started losing his hair at a pretty early age, and wore thick glasses. But he had to trust that Melinda knew what she was doing. Hopefully she wouldn’t become smitten with her ex again.

He slightly adjusted the comm in his ear, as Andrew sat down and began to speak to Melinda.

“So, this is a surprise, Mel,” Andrew said, giving a warm smile.

Melinda had to admit, Andrew looked even better now than he did 10 years ago. But she wouldn’t let his charm distract her from her goal, getting that file on Skye.

“I know, sorry to bother you Andrew. But you’re the only one with high enough clearance at the FBI. I need a file. One of our students is looking for her parents. She has hit a wall, and it appears her file is a classified FBI case,” Melinda was straight with Andrew, hoping to finish this conversation as soon as possible.

Andrew put his hand on hers, “So you did become a teacher, Mel? I was wondering where you’d end up after retiring.”

Melinda gave him a glare, “Drew, this is a strictly business meeting.”

Andrew took his hand off hers, “Aw. Sorry. So seeing anyone?”

Phil tried not to react on the comms, he was wondering how Melinda would phrase it. And he was annoyed that Andrew was already making a move on Mel.

“Yes, as a matter of fact I am. Let’s keep to the issue at hand. Can you get her file?” Melinda kept her intense glare at Andrew, making it very clear she had no interest in him.

“Fine. Business it is then. Yes, I can get you that file. It’s not exactly legal for me to give it you though, considering you are retired. So, what makes it so important for this kid to know where her parents came from?” Andrew drank some wine, trying to keep flirting with May.

“Well, I’m mentoring her. She’s actually becoming sort of a daughter to me, I guess I just want her to be happy,” Melinda opened up to Drew. He was always able to get her talking about what was going on in her head.

Andrew dared to put his hand on hers again, “I know how much you wanted a daughter, Mel. I’m sorry it couldn’t work out between us. I’m still single if you know, things don’t work out between you and Mr. Suit over there?” Drew motioned to Phil who was attempting to not draw attention, but failing.

“How did you?” May wondered out loud.

“Because I’m an FBI agent, and I know you. So, are you really dating him, or did you just bring him here to avoid me making a move on you?” Andrew grinned, rubbing May arms.

“Stop it Drew. Whatever we had before is over. Get out of here before I kick your ass. And please, let me know if you do find anything. And yes, I’m really dating him,” Melinda crackled her knuckles.

“Okay, okay, sorry. I thought, I thought you were contacting me to get together again, and I was wrong. I apologize. We’ll stay strictly business partners, okay? I’ll keep in contact with you,” Andrew left and May kept her glaring eyes on him as he did.

Phil came up from behind her and pulled out his comm, “Wow. What a tool,” Phil answered, putting his arm around May’s waist.

May leaned into Phil, “He didn’t always used to be that way. But it appears the years have made him bitter. Don’t worry, he’ll get that file for us.”

Phil turned her around in his arms, “You know, we didn’t finish what we started earlier today.”

Melinda gave him a seductive smirk, “We did not, I guess we should finish, huh?”

Phil gave her a kiss, “I guess not here. Come on, let’s go back to my apartment and open up some wine. That way we can make sure Skye hasn’t gotten into any trouble while we’ve been gone.”

“Fine, I guess so,” Melinda had wanted to keep kissing Phil, she longed for his touch now that their feelings were out in the open.

The two made it back to the base, to find a very disappointed looking Dean Fury and guilty Skye.

May and Coulson looked at each other and sighed, “What is it this time?”

Fury responded in frustration, “Skye snuck out of the base, presuming to follow you two, and I caught her trying to hack into some guy’s laptop in his FBI issue car.”

“Oh, okay, Fury, we can take it from here. We know what’s going on,”

Coulson grabbed Skye gently by the arm, “Come on, Skye, let’s all go to my room and talk this out.”

The three of them made it to Coulson’s room, and both Coulson and May folded their arms. “Why did you follow us? You knew we’d be making contact.”

Skye answered frustratingly, “You think that FBI Agent was being honest with you? He’s the one that dropped me off at the orphanage to begin with. Something is fishy with him.”

It was May’s turn to be shocked, “Wait, what? Andrew dropped you off at the orphanage? What age were you?”

“I was 6. I was happy in home I was in. Nice foster parents. Then he took me from them. After that, I was moved from foster place to foster place every so often. I noticed he would always be outside in an unmarked car, watching me. I don’t know what’s up with him, but I don’t trust him.” Skye started crying.

Melinda pulled her in for a hug, “I’m so sorry Skye. I wish I knew. Andrew always told me he had to move a kid every few months. He must have made your file classified. I’m guessing he’s going to try to burn the file now that he knows you’re looking for it.”

“You knew him?”

May gave Coulson a slight shake of the head, “Yes, he was a coworker at the FBI agency. But I don’t believe he was a bad guy, at least, I thought not. But maybe…I don’t know. Something did seem off about him today at the meeting.”

Coulson rubbed Skye’s back, “We’ll figure it out sweetie. Don’t worry. We’ll find your parents.”

Skye fell asleep and Coulson quietly brought her back to her bunk and put a blanket over her. She seemed so small all of the sudden. Him and May had to figure out how to solve this.

Coulson came back to his apartment, where May was concentrating with a notepad.

“I know a way. But it’s illegal. I think if I got Skye close enough to where her file is held, she can hack in,” May answered, getting herself back into FBI mode.

“Do you honestly think that’s the best idea?” Coulson wondered, thinking how this day started very differently how it was ending.

“Better fight fire with fire, we have to beat Drew to her file,” May looked determined. Once she realized that she saw Skye has a daughter, she wanted to do anything for her.

“Okay, well, I’ve never done anything like this in my life,” Coulson started taking of his tie.

“You’ll be here, distracting Fury while Skye and I sneak out of the base,” May answered, already putting together the plan.

“I can do that. I’ll just get Fury into one of my history conversations, he loves the ones from WWII,” Coulson took off his dress shirt, leaving just an undershirt underneath.

Melinda couldn’t help but to check him out, “You are looking good, Phil.”

Phil couldn’t help but smile, “You look good too, Mel. That dress suits you.”

“I suppose we should get some sleep if we are going to do this plan tomorrow,” Melinda sighed, wishing they could have more time together.

“Yes, I’ll see you in the morning,” Phil gave her a kiss, before she walked out the door. He looked longingly after her. He couldn’t wait to spend more time with her now that they were dating. But first, they had an FBI Agency to hack into.


	6. The Hacker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Melinda make a daring move to find Skye's classified file. The truth about Andrew, and Skye's parents, come to light.

Melinda May had gotten Skye up early in the night, and relayed her plan of infiltrating the FBI in order to find Skye’s classified file.

“We are WHAT?!” Skye whispered, as she got into dark clothing and packed her loaded laptop she kept under her bed for emergencies.

“Skye, it’s the only way. We have to get there before Andrew. He’s going to destroy your file forever. We have to know why he wants to destroy it and stop him,” Melinda said, mentally crossing her fingers that they don’t get caught.

Melinda had smartly put a tracker on Andrew when they had met at the speakeasy. She knew exactly which database to hack into. She also knew this was the only way for the FBI to finally figure out what Andrew was hiding. Hopefully, in helping catch Andrew in his illegal act, it would override what her and Skye were about to do.

Once Skye was dressed, Melinda propped open the door and gave Coulson a thumbs up. That was the sign to go talk to Fury about his new history curriculum, in hopes to keep him occupied while Skye and May left the school.

Coulson nodded and walked straight to Fury’s office, while Melinda and Skye took an access elevator down to the parking garage.

“So, the plan is, we are going to get you close enough in order to hack into the FBI database. I know of just the place, it’ll be an abandoned warehouse that’s just close enough,” Melinda answered, hoping into her car.

Skye hopped in the back and put a blanket over herself after she got buckled in. “Well I’ve never hacked the FBI before, but I think I can do it.”

Melinda started the car and the two drove off into most certain danger.

>>>

Coulson knocked on Fury’s door, “Dean Fury? You in here?”

Fury turned around in his chair and replied, “Melinda and Skye are up to something, aren’t they?”

“Uh, yes sir.” Coulson knew he couldn’t lie to Fury, he was a good friend and a mentor.

“Well don’t tell me because I don’t want to know. Just tell me, is it worth it?” Fury replied, staring Coulson down.

“Yes sir, I believe it is,” Coulson answered, sitting down in the office.

Fury sighed, “You know, I’ve noticed you and Melinda growing closer. And Skye has actually been doing well in classes. Good enough to be able to graduate this year, if she wanted to.”

Coulson looked shocked, “Really? I mean, she’s got the skills, that’s for sure. But then where will she go when she graduates? She’ll still be a minor.”

Fury rubbed his hands together, “Have you considered adopting her? Or becoming her foster parent at the very least? She sees you as her father, Coulson. I can tell by how she looks at you.”

“Wow. I mean, yeah, I have thought about it a lot actually. It’s something I’ll have to discuss with Melinda, granted if nothing bad happens after today,” Coulson’s eyes showed worry.

“Again, I don’t want to know. Yes. You should discuss it with her. Because I believe you’d both be great parents to Skye. Not that I want to presume anything with you and Melinda,” Fury gave Coulson a knowing look.

Phil just smiled, “Well, we’re basically courting at this point. So that’s why I need to discuss it with her. Because it would be better if we were married first, before we adopted Skye.”

It was Fury’s turn to smile, “Glad to hear it. Well, if you need a witness at the wedding, I’ll be around.”

Coulson nodded, “Thanks Fury. Well, now it’s a waiting game.”

“Indeed it is.”

>>>

May and Skye had made it to the warehouse, where Skye began furiously typing into her laptop.

After about an hour, Skye perked up, “I’m in!”

Melinda began scouting the area, and noticed a slam in the distance. It was then she realized that that she was well, had a tracker on herself. That’s why Andrew had rubbed her arms, to plant a tracker.

“Skye, hurry up, I think we may have company!” May shouted, as Andrew came around the corner with a gun pointed at them.

“Melinda, you don’t want to do this,” Andrew said as he pointed the gun at her.

“You mean find out why you are hiding behind a classified file?” May spouted out, her own gun pointing back at Andrew.

“You need to hear me out, before she opens that file,” Andrew calmly answered, nodding to Skye.

Skye did a few more clicks, and opened the file, and began reading it.

“You killed my parents. Their whole town, you killed them all,” Skye said in a small, quiet voice.

“It’s not what it looks like Skye. I was ORDERED to do that. By my supervising officer. But then I saw you. I couldn’t go through with killing a child. They had said it was insurgents. And I go in, and it’s a bunch of civilians. So I got you out, Skye, and then I ordered an air raid to finish the job. I didn’t want to kill anyone directly. And I thought, with an air raid, maybe, just maybe there would be hope that someone could survive. But they didn’t. That’s why I hid you. You weren’t supposed to be alive. I don’t know why you were all ordered to be killed. My supervising officer was killed not much later, by the same people who gave _him_ the order.” Andrew admitted, his gun shaking as he recounted the tale.

“So the FBI is compromised?” Melinda answered in fear.

“No. No, my supervising officer worked for another organization. A hidden one. I didn’t know it until that order. Then I did some digging. That’s what got him killed. Then I was afraid they would come after me. After you, Melinda. And after the kid. So that’s why I distanced myself. That’s why you felt like things weren’t right. Because they weren’t. I was too afraid to say anything to anybody. So I distanced myself, kept my head down, and kept moving Skye from house to house to make sure no one figured out who she was. I’m sorry, Skye, for everything,” Andrew put his gun down and a swarm of FBI agents came around the corner. They handcuffed Andrew.

“Melinda, thank you for the heads up. We’ve been trying to find this hidden organization for years. Hopefully, with Andrew’s help, we can find it,” Melinda’s old boss said, as he shook her hand.

“Melinda? You orchestrated this? To catch me?” Andrew angrily shouted.

“No one messes with my Skye. Get out of here, Andrew,” The FBI agents took Andrew away as he silently glared at her as she got into the car.

Melinda looked at her boss, “It looks like Andrew got caught up in something bad. He’ll cooperate.”

“Thanks, Agent May. I guess just May now, right? Hey, and let us know if you need help with Skye. Honestly, with her skills, she could make a good FBI agent one day.”

>>>

Melinda and Skye made the drive back to the school in silence, Melinda could hear quiet sniffling going on in the back seat. She knew that Skye would open up in her own time.

When they got back to the school, Coulson was waiting there with Fury, “It’s okay, FBI contacted us. Sounds like you were instrumental in a helping open up a cold case and give a new lead,” Fury answered, giving Skye a warm smile.

Melinda nodded, “Yes. Now, if you’ll excuse us, Skye needs some time. Phil, come with us.”

Fury let the three go, and he saw the family that they became, he smiled.


	7. Daisy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, but lots of Philindaisy feels. Found family becomes a closer family.

Phil, Melinda, and Skye made it to Phil’s apartment, and Phil gave them both hugs. “I’m so glad to see you two safe. I was so worried when the FBI called us, I had thought…I couldn’t imagine…”

“It’s okay, Phil. We’re okay,” Melinda answered, releasing the group hug.

Skye wandered to the couch and Melinda and Phil sat in between them. “My parents are gone. Killed for no reason. I thought, maybe there was a chance…” She buried her face into Phil’s shoulder, as Melinda rubbed her back.

“I know, sweetie. I know. We were all hoping for a happier ending.” Phil said, allowing Skye’s tears to soak his shoulder.

“My name is Daisy. That’s what the file said. My birth name,” Skye said, through the tears.

“Daisy? That’s beautiful. If you want, we can start calling you Daisy, in honor of your parents,” Melinda replied, as Skye nodded.

“Yeah, I’d like that. Maybe go by Daisy Skye.”

The three sat together unspeaking for a long time. Eventually, Daisy Skye fell asleep.

After making sure she was fully asleep, Phil made up tea and coffee for both him and Melinda. He looked seriously into Melinda’s eyes.

“I think we should adopt her.” Phil said, even more certain now that he knew Skye was an orphan.

Melinda nodded, “I’ve been thinking that for weeks. I’ve…actually already started looking into it.”

Phil perked up, “You did? I think it would be great.”

Melinda put her hand on his, “I think we both should be her parents. And it would be easier…if you know, we got married. That way she has a stable home, two parents who love each other and love her.”

Phil dropped his mouth, “Are you? Are you proposing to me?”

“Yes.”

Melinda and Phil shared a kiss and Phil responded, “So, do I get the engagement ring then since you asked?”

She hit him in the arm, gently, “No, you can still get me a ring. I’ll just take a simple wedding band though.”

The two began to kiss again, to be interrupted by Daisy, “Can you guys get a room? I may be a good sleeper, but not *that* good. Congrats by the way.” Daisy smiled, her first smile that day.

She began timidly, “Did you really mean it, that you’d adopt me?”

Melinda and Phil nodded quickly, “Of course, sweetie. We absolutely mean it. You’re our daughter, if you’ll accept us as parents.”

Daisy got up and put her arms around them, “Our little family.”

The three of them cried together in happiness. Daisy had just found out her biological family was gone forever, but her found family was here, with her now.

Phil and Melinda brought her back to her bunk, and promised to stay with her through the night. The three climbed in her bed, and Daisy slept better than she had in her entire life, surrounded by parents who loved her more than anything.


	8. The Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil and Melinda have a short ceremony, Daisy gets to meet new friends at the wedding.

In a matter of weeks, Phil and Melinda were able to get the adoption papers through to the courts. FBI had helped, as well as Fury’s connections in the state. Daisy’s official adoption court date was the next week.

Which was just enough time for Phil and Melinda to put together a small wedding. Melinda’s parents weren’t too pleased at not having a big wedding, but Melinda promised they would have one later.

After Melinda explained about Daisy Skye, her parents rejoiced at not only gaining a son, but also a granddaughter. They could wait for the wedding. But they told Melinda that they fly down for the adoption. There, they could have a family ceremony.

Phil was nervous, although the wedding was just being done in the school courtyard, he struggled with finding the right outfit and the right tie. Melinda helped him tie it, as he was too nervous to tie a good one. “Hey I’m not supposed to see the bride yet,” He joked as Melinda finished the tie and gave him a kiss.

“At least we get to have our wedding night off school grounds. Fury was so nice to give us a hotel to celebrate,” Melinda answered, giving Coulson a wink. With everything going on, the adoption, the FBI mission, finishing school, the two still hadn’t slept together. They figured if they waited this long, why not wait until they were married? Besides, it was a little weird to do things on school grounds. The two would get a house with Daisy off the campus after graduation.

“This is true. Not sure I wanted to spent our first night together right by the common area, the walls aren’t exactly thick in the school apartment,” Phil answered, starting to blush.

Melinda gave him a sexy smirk, “Oh. Is that because I’m going to make you sing tonight?” She rubbed her hand down his hip.

“Yes, ma’am. We better go to the ceremony now or we’ll never make it.” Phil’s face kept reddening, his breath quickening.

“Let’s go.”

The ceremony was simple, students and teachers who wanted to attend were there, and Coulson had even invited Leo and Jemma to come, who he came to find out were dating. They ended up sitting next to Daisy, and the three became instant friends, talking about Coulson. Daisy told them about Melinda, and they beamed when she came walking down the aisle. Leo had said he had always wanted Phil to find someone. He deserved it.

Daisy looked over to see her almost dad crying at the altar, and trying very hard to keep his composure. But she didn’t blame him. Melinda looked STUNNING, it was a very simple white dress, her hair down against her shoulders.

Melinda wasn’t one to give big smiles, but today, she was positively radiant.

Fury ended up presiding for the wedding, having done a few marriages before.

“Today, we get to celebrate two of our amazing teachers, who came here selflessly to mentor and care for our students here. Today, is their day, and we come to honor it.” Fury said, as people cheered in the background.

Fury said a few more words, but Melinda and Phil weren’t listening. They kept staring into each other’s eyes. It came time for the vows. Melinda began, “Phil, when we met, I wasn’t so sure of this geeky history teacher who was assigned to be a co-mentor with me. But over time, I saw how loyal, selfless, caring, and humble you are. You have deep compassion and will be the best husband that a wife could ask for. And a great dad to Daisy Skye.”

Phil replied shakily, “Melinda, since that day we met, I was impressed by your strength, your beauty, and your steadfastness. Your commitment to the job, and to me, and to Daisy did not go unnoticed. I am so excited for this next journey, to become your husband, and to become parents with you.”

The two cried with joy, and kissed a long wedding kiss that made Leo whoop and Daisy go red with embarrassment. She supposed she’d have to get used to her almost parents kissing all the time, especially when she moved in with them.

Daisy was first to go up to the altar and hung her new family. She was so happy. She couldn’t wait for the day to be official, but for now, she was happy to see her friends, mentors, and now almost parents get married.

The reception was short, with a few toasts and some cake. Melinda and Phil noticed that Daisy were talking to Leo and Jemma, and smiled. The three became fast friends, and were swapping contact information. Daisy would have some friends post-graduation, which would make the transition even easier.

Fury could tell that Melinda and Phil were ready to go consummate their marriage, so he ushered everyone out of the courtyard, “Okay, let’s have May and Coulson get to finally get some time off and enjoy themselves. Classes resume tomorrow!”

The students groaned and made it back to their respective dorms. Daisy was waiting by the limo that would take Phil and Melinda to their honeymoon suite.

“Congrats, mom and dad. I mean almost mom and dad,” Daisy gave him another hug.

“You can call us mom and dad now. Adoption is basically final, other than the court date,” Melinda answered, holding Daisy’s hand in one hand and Phil’s in another.

“Okay thanks. Hey, so what’s our last name gonna be? May-Coulson, Coulson-May? Just May? Just Coulson?” Daisy wondered as they got into the car.

Phil answered, “I think we decided on May-Coulson, rolls off the tongue a bit better.”

Daisy smiled, “Okay. Daisy Skye May-Coulson. I like it. Have fun you too!”

Melinda gave her a look, “And NO TROUBLE. We need to enjoy tonight.”

Daisy winked at the newlyweds, “Don’t worry. Leo and Jemma and I are gonna hang. Fury approved it. See you later!”

>>>

Melinda and Phil made it to the honeymoon suite, where champagne and roses were set out on the bed. Phil began kissing Melinda all over has he unstrapped her dress.

“This has been a long time coming,” Melinda said, as she swooned from Phil’s touch.

“Worth the wait, Melinda. Worth the wait.”


	9. Becoming a Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melinda and Phil have their first morning as a married couple and prepare for adoption day with Daisy.
> 
> [This finishes the fic! I may add a sequel later, maybe Daisy ends up going to the same college as Leo and Jemma, and we get more domestic Phil and Melinda fluff.]

Phil woke up to the smell of coffee and his wife caressing her hands down his spine.

“Hey not fair. Let me have some coffee first,” Phil answered, feeling a bit bleary from the wedding night festivities.

“Then I have to taste your coffee,” Melinda answered, making a frown face, then a wink.

“Mmmm, I knew I’d get you to like coffee somehow. You won’t be able to resist,” Phil took a big sip of coffee, then pulled Melinda into his body, licking her lips then putting his tongue in her mouth.

“Mmmm, I guess it’s not so bad,” Melinda answered, shoving Phil back on the bed for another round.

Phil’s coffee got cold, but he didn’t mind. Melinda made him another cup, while he made her matcha tea. He cracked his back, “That’s the problem with getting married in your 40s. Don’t recover as quickly.”

Melinda smirked, “I’m just fine,” she answered, shaking her hips toward him.

Phil chuckled, “Guess being an FBI agent has its perks. Maybe I’ll have to do more physical training.”

Melinda gave him another kiss, gently, on the neck this time, “Too bad you have to recharge. Well, we need to get back to school anyways. Tomorrow is adoption day!”

Phil rubbed his hands along her body, “Good thing we’ll busy the next few days, because I do need the break.”

Melinda just laughed, “Yes. Also, we’ll definitely need to install a lock on our door when we move into the new house.”

Phil looked confused at first, “Oh, right. We’ll have a teenager in the house. Well, that should be interesting.”

Melinda and Phil made it back to the school, and Daisy smiled at them, grinning to herself that she noticed not two, but three large hickies on Phil’s neck.

“Not a word, Daisy,” Phil said, knowing that her classmates would want all the details.

>>>

The next day flew by quickly, with Phil and Melinda signing off on their home rental, and preparing the last paperwork for the adoption.

The day arrived, Melinda’s parents were there, and even Leo and Jemma asked to come, as they had become fast friends with Daisy.

The adoption didn’t take long, all the paperwork as immaculate. As they walked out of the courtroom, an even bigger group was standing there with signs and balloons that said “Happy Found Day!” and “We love the Philindaisy Fam!”

Phil looked at the sign, “Philindaisy?”

Daisy blushed red, “Well, me and the other students called you and May the “Philinda” ship, so when they found out my name was Daisy and that you were going to adopt me, then it switched to the Philindaisy fam.”

Melinda took both their hands, “I love it. I think we should get a sign printed and put it in our home.”

Phil smiled, “I agree. Come on. Let’s go to ice cream to celebrate.”

Daisy remembered that the ice cream place was the first time her parents started to like each other, and the first time the three of them really bonded. “Perfect idea, dad.”

Melinda gave a mischievous look, “Does that mean I get to clean the sprinkles off you again, Phil?”

Phil reddened and Daisy butted in, “Okay mom, we are going to have to put a limit on the number of innuendos said in front of me, aren’t we?”

Her mom just laughed, “Yes, we probably will. Guess we’ll call them Mayisms.”

It was Phil’s turn to make a joke, “or maygasms.”

Melinda and Daisy turned in surprise, “Phil!” “Dad!”

“What?” Phil shrugged, and entered the car.

“This is one weird, little family, isn’t it,” Daisy replied, slightly embarrassed by her parents, but at the same time, so happy that she was in a family she had always dreamed of.

So when Phil and Melinda kissed again at the ice cream place, Daisy really didn’t mind. She had two parents that loved her. Two parents that loved each other, and two new friends. Her life was just as it should be.


End file.
